The Best Surprise
by SpicyPepper-SweetSugar
Summary: "He doesn't say it again until two years later, those three little words." - Post 2x23, future fic (you'll probably understand when you read it!), I'm kind of suckish at summaries, and I wasn't planning on posting this, but I just figured 'why not'. I hope you like it enough to leave a comment! ;)


**Note: ****Yeah, so I totally just wrote another Olicity one-shot... But can you blame me, after THAT finale? I loved every second of the episode and then I was just inspired to write. I haven't checked it over or anything, so I don't expect much, but it's always nice to get some feedback! :)**

******I wasn't even planning on posting this, but then I though 'what the heck', so be nice! ;)**

******Enjoy!**

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"**The Best Surprise"**

**Word count: 2,865**

He didn't say it again until two years later.

It had been unexpected, to say the least and Oliver would be lying if he didn't admit that he had caught himself off guard too. The words had slipped right past his lips, a mere whisper as he had closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet scent of everything that was _her_ as they swayed softly to the music, her head resting on his chest, their fingers laced together.

"I love you."

He felt her tense in his arms and a second later, which felt like light years, she pulled away to stare at him. As she remained pressed against his body, only her head leaning back to get a good look at his expression, he could only stare at her face, realizing that she was looking for something; searching for the truth.

§

When he had told her two years ago that he loved her, he hadn't actually intended to do so. They had talked over their plan as they had made it to his old mansion and he had filled her in on the fact that Slade had planted cameras in his house. They quickly came up with things they had to say so that Slade would believe that he had been wrong when he had taken Laurel, so that Felicity could get close enough to him to cure him.

It was a dangerous plan; unthinkable, but Oliver had known that it needed to be done. Felicity had agreed, and he could tell that she was glad to be treated as an equal. After all, she _was_ a part of the core of their team.

He had planned on ending their conversation with implying that Slade had gotten the wrong woman, but there was something inside of him burning as he mentally counted all the things that could go wrong. So when the three little words had slipped from his mouth, he hadn't expected them himself. It had felt so natural to say them to her and for a brief second, he realized he had spoken the truth. He did love her, whether it was as more than a friend though, he wasn't sure yet.

That came later, when he saw Slade's blade pressed to her neck and he realized how stupid he had been to actually think that he might have meant it in a platonic way. Inside, he was panicking, but after Felicity stabbed Slade with the syringe and injected him with the cure, he couldn't think about anything other than protecting her and saving the city.

When the battle was won and Slade was imprisoned on Lian Yu again, she brought it up on the beach. She was trying to act dismissively, but he could tell that the wall between the two of them that _he _had set up had been chipped. Yet, he couldn't help but smile at her as she babbled off about the fact that he had almost gotten her to believe that it was true and that he had sold it. When he'd told her that they both had managed to sell it to Slade, he hadn't been talking about their supposed _fake_ feelings. For a second after he had uttered the three little words to her, he had seen something in her eyes. Wonder, adoration and _love_. For that _one_ second, he managed to both convince himself and talk himself out of the fact that Felicity might love him too. That was why he told her that they had sold it.

Because not only had he fooled her for a second, but she had fooled him too.

§

Things between them hadn't gotten tense after their return to Starling City, unlike what he had expected. In fact, they were closer than ever; a team in almost every way.

They got his company back, began helping to rebuild the city and she helped him to search for Thea, despite the fact that they couldn't find a single clue to tell whether she was alive of not.

Several times, he caught himself sitting on the floor in their new Foundry, thinking about his younger sister through the night, not being able to fall asleep. Felicity must have installed cameras in the place, because every time he sat down, it wouldn't take her more than an hour to walk right in and take a seat beside him.

"We'll find her, Oliver," she would reassure him and he would put his head on her shoulder. "I'll do everything in my power to find her."

"I know you will," he'd reply before closing his eyes to rest, her presence making it so much easier.

Then of course came the big reveal, half a year later. Thea had been with Malcolm Merlin, who despite everything had survived the wound Oliver had inflicted on him the night of the Undertaking. Of course, when Malcolm had managed to brain wash Thea into believing that everything that had gone wrong in her life started and ended with The Arrow, without telling her that it was _Oliver_ who was the culprit, Oliver didn't know what do expect from the showdown. Thea had learned not only how to fight, but also how to use a bow and it wasn't until she had managed to knock him to his back and pressed the tip of one of her arrows to his throat that she paused.

"I want to see who you are," she had told him. "I want to see the face of the one person who has ruined my life."

"There's no need, Thea," Malcolm had assured her. "Just kill him and then you'll be done with your training."

Thea had ignored Malcolm and pushed away his hood, only to freeze. "Ollie?" she whispered, the arrow that had been pressed against his throat loosening in her grip and clattering to the ground.

"Thea," he had whispered through tears. He was happy to see her, but horrified at what he saw. Had Malcolm managed to taint her soul? Make her a killer too?

"You useless _child_," Malcolm roared. "Who _cares_ if it's Oliver! You have to kill him to pass the final test in your training!"

"No!" Thea protested, raising to her feet.

Oliver had realized in that moment, that his sister hadn't yet become a murderer like her biological father. There was still hope.

They fought together, side by side. They were a little out of sync, considering that they had never actually worked together, but things were going quite well anyway, since they were two against one. Thea used the training she had received from Malcolm and together, they managed to beat him. Despite everything, Malcolm cowered away, vowing to be back one day to collect what was rightfully his, but Oliver didn't dare think about it, since he could once again embrace his sister.

Thea had been reluctant to join them at first, but in the end, she joined them under the alias of Speedy. Roy had been thrilled at seeing her again and in the midst of all the pain and suffering they had been through, Oliver wasn't exactly surprised when Thea herself admitted that she had been wrong about everything.

Oliver sought out Felicity's eyes and when they connected, a silent conversation passed through them. She was there for him and she always would be. She had held him together when he'd thought he would crack and she had pushed him to keep going, promising that they would find his little sister and bring her back.

They had done it all and come out stronger than ever; their friendship never wavering.

When she smiled at him before walking over to embrace Thea and welcome her back, Oliver realized just how true the three small words that he had told her that night in the mansion were, but he wasn't sure if he was ready yet to tell her the truth.

§

Then came the horrible time where Felicity dated Dick Grayson.

It wasn't exactly as if she wanted to torture Oliver with the details of her dates, because quite frankly, out of sheer jealousy he asked her about it, wanting to see flaws in the person she was seeing. Naturally, the man was the perfect match for her and they never argued about anything. Oliver realized that he was being selfish and petty and he hated the fact that he spent every second of the day wishing that she would just break up with the man.

They dated for almost a year until she one day walked into the Foundry, a small frown on her face.

"What happened?" Diggle had asked as he got off the phone with Lyla.

"I broke up with Dick," she had shrugged, almost causing Oliver to fall off the salmon ladder. He jumped down and walked over to her slowly.

"What? Why would you do that?" he had asked her and she had once again shrugged.

"I haven't really been honest with you guys about _how_ he and I got involved in the first place," she told them. "Remember that weekend I spent in _Blüdhaven_? Well, I was attacked my some muggers and I was then saved by the town's own vigilante..." she trailed off. "It's not really my story to tell, but I talked it over with Dick and he told me that it was okay, since he had long ago figured out who _you_ were," she told Oliver, pointing at him.

"Wait, are you trying to tell me that Dick is Nightwing?" Diggle asked and Felicity nodded. "So you broke up with him because he was keeping that from you?"

"No," Felicity laughed. "I knew about him long before I broke up with him. I broke it off because he suggested I move to Blüdhaven with him and become _his_ girl."

Something inside of Oliver had swelled at her words. It wasn't jealousy anymore; it was more like fear. Fear of the fact that he had been close to loosing her again, but this time without even knowing it. She hadn't gone with Dick though. She had broken up with him instead and _stayed_.

"I told him that I didn't want to leave you guys behind and that my entire life is centered around Starling City," Felicity explained. "He understood, but I don't think he liked the idea of a long distance relationship. So I ended it."

Simple as that, the issue of Dick Grayson had been wrapped up in a nice bow and been shipped back to the town he'd come from.

"Are you okay?" Oliver had asked before taking a step toward her.

"Surprisingly enough, yes," Felicity had replied, looking at him with a small smile. "Dick and I are still friends and we're planning on keeping in touch. I might have to help him sometime, but I made it clear that I'm a part of _this_ team and that I'm happy here."

Before Oliver could say anything else, she'd walked over to her computers, taking her seat and started hacking away.

He watched her silently as it all began to fall into place again and his memories of the night he had told her he loved her flooded back.

It was too soon to say something.

She had just gotten out of a long-term relationship and he didn't want her to know that he had actually been praying that it would end. He felt horrible for wishing that she'd be unhappy with Dick so that she would stay with him, but after all, he was a horribly selfish person sometimes.

§

And now, yet another six months later, two years in total since he had told her the first time that he loved her, he had said it again.

There had just been something about the evening that had felt _right_. He had been invited to a charity event and there hadn't been a question about who would be accompanying him to it. Felicity had told him after work today that she had the _perfect_ dress and that she would meet him there.

During the six months that had passed since Felicity's break up with Dick, the two of them had somehow managed to grow even more attached to each other. It was unspoken, of course, but Oliver sometimes noticed the way Diggle and Thea would look at each other when he finished one of Felicity's sentences, or she hurried over to him to treat his wounds without even having to ask where it hurt. They just _knew_ each other, which Roy had pointed out to him randomly one night while they had been on a mission. Even though Diggle had been the first one to join him on his crusade, everyone on the team knew that it was Felicity he shared something special with; an understanding, of some sorts.

Although, when she had shown up wearing a long coat that covered a huge amount of her dress tonight, he wasn't sure what to think at first.

"It was cold!" she had laughed at his expression and he had only shrugged, telling her that she could get rid of the coat once they were inside. She wore light make up, her lips the only thing painted in a bolder, darker color than usual, which made her look even more appealing. He led her inside and she was careful not to slip on her dress and he walked up to the bouncer that was letting people in, showing him his invitation as Felicity got rid of her coat.

Nothing had prepared him for what he saw when he turned around. In the dark outside, he hadn't been able to see the color of the gown, but now in the light inside, it was clear as day.

It was _his_ color.

She was wearing _his_ color and inside of him, everything that he had been pushing down for two years stirred up again. It was a statement, that much was clear, but of what? He had no idea, but tonight would be the night he found out.

When he had asked her to dance, she hadn't hesitated for a second before taking his hand and letting him lead her out on the dance floor. Her gown was a one-shoulder floor length gown that flared out with every step she took. The bodice and the shoulder were covered in small, flower shaped, green rhinestones that glistened as she moved. It was a beautiful dress, but Oliver couldn't tear his eyes away from her face. Her hair was curled and pulled to the side, fastened with an emerald hair clip he had gotten her for her birthday last year. She had protested when Thea had pointed out that the emeralds were real, but he had insisted that she'd take them.

So as they swayed to the soft music, Oliver didn't even notice the looks they were given by the other people in the room. The rumors of Oliver Queen and his executive assistant hadn't exactly been quieted down when she accompanied him to every single event and never left his side.

Felicity's head was resting against his chest and the words had just slipped out then, because he felt at peace with himself and everything around him. For the first time, in such a long time, he wasn't worried about anything other than the woman in his arms.

"Oliver?" Felicity mumbled in question and he couldn't help but smile at her. "Are you being serious now or is there some threat here that I'm not aware of?"

"I have never been more serious in my entire life," he admitted, suddenly feeling breathless. "There is no threat this time." His hand moved on its own accord it seemed, resting on her cheek as he forced her eyes to stay locked with his. "I love you," he repeated softly. It sounded exactly the same as the first time he had said it, his voice low but filled with raw emotion.

"There is no going back, Oliver," she told him, still quietly. "You need to be absolutely sure, because there's no going back. At least not for me."

Her admission only warmed him further. The fact that she wasn't denying that she loved him too, filled him with joy.

"Felicity," he said her name as if it was the answer to every question he had ever had. "If we go there, I will never want to go back," he admitted.

She searched his face for ten whole seconds before finally leaning in and pressing her lips to his. It was slow and ended way too quickly for Oliver's taste, but it ignited something inside of him that he thought he had lost a long, long time ago.

"In that case, I love you too," she told him, a light blush creeping up on her cheeks.

He didn't hesitate for a second to once again close the distance between them, glad that he had finally allowed himself not only to let himself love her, but also be loved in return by the one woman he had never truly expected, which had turned out to be the best surprise of his life.

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**Note: Soooo? What did you think? If you didn't like it, oh well, you never can please everyone, but if you did, then please leave a comment and tell me why! ;)**

**You'll probably be seeing more from me soon, after I get my stuff together at school! =)**

**Thank you for reading!**


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